


There’s A New Day On The Other Side

by carnivalinsidemyhead



Category: Take That
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, nineties fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 3,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28800567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnivalinsidemyhead/pseuds/carnivalinsidemyhead
Summary: Robbie Williams absolutely had not joined the school dance committee just because he had a crush on the head of the committee, Mark Owen.Obviously not.(loosely inspired by the Meerkat Music concert.)
Relationships: Gary Barlow/Dawn Andrews, Howard Donald/Jason Orange, Jason Orange/Mark Owen, Mark Owen/Robbie Williams
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t have a good explanation for why these Mancunian idiots are attending an American type high school, just go with it.

Robbie absolutely hadn’t sassed Mr. Gavin, the theater arts teacher, on purpose. Of course not. He certainly didn’t deliberately set out to get sent to detention knowing that Mr. Gavin would offer him the alternative punishment of “volunteering” for the school dance committee.

And he certainly didn’t want to join the committee because he had a crush on Mark, the head of the committee.

Certainly not. 

Robbie was far too cool to be on a lame dance committee. And he obviously wasn’t the least bit interested in boys *that* way. 

Even if he was, he wouldn’t fancy a lad that only came up to his shoulders. And shuffled when he walked like a little old man. And couldn’t even properly pronounce his own name.

Alright, so maybe he was just the right height for cuddling. And maybe the shuffling walk and slight speech impediment were sort of endearing.

And maybe his hair looked like it was the softest thing you could ever touch and his lips looked unfairly kissable but Robbie absolutely had not spent any time wondering what it would be like to kiss him and run his fingers through his hair.

He barely gave Mark Owen a thought if you must know.

It was all just mere coincidence that he just *happened* to be sitting in the auditorium right now listening to Mark talk about coordinating a laser show for the close of the evening.

And he was *not* staring at him with heart eyes, okay? Absolutely not.

“Mark?” Jason the committee treasurer spoke up, “I’m afraid we don’t have anything close to the budget needed for a laser show.”

Mark let out a heavy sigh. 

“What do we have the budget for then?”

Jason looked over the budget sheet carefully for a couple of moments then looked up again.

“Well we could have someone flick the light switches off and on a bunch of times in a row…I suppose if we really want to splurge we can get a couple of colored light bulbs and maybe some confetti to throw…”

Mark sighed again. 

“Right folks. Looks like it’s fundraising time again if we want this thing to not be complete shit. Have I got any volunteers for that?” 

There was a collective groan.

“I’m sure Robert would be happy to,” offered Mr. Gavin, their faculty advisor, with a warning smile at Robbie.

“Robert?”

Robbie coughed. “Err that’s me. And yes, Mr. Gavin, of course I would.”

Mark turned to look at Robbie properly for the first time. 

A flash of understanding passed through them both as their eyes locked and they stared. 

And stared.

Jason briefly glared at Robbie. 

Robbie didn’t notice in the slightest. 

Mr. Gavin coughed discreetly, startling Mark back into reality.

“Oh right. Right. Yeah...that would be..um...really good if you could..um..work with Jason on that, Robert?”

Robbie nodded, suppressing a groan over being stuck with Jason whom he’d already branded a twat in his mind. 

“Right,” he said as he got up and walked over to sit by Jason, “what do we have to do, then?”

“Well, first,we need to find something from the fundraising catalog to sell to people. It will probably be chocolate bars because those go best even though I wish we could sell something healthier.”

Robbie nodded. 

“Then we just hock them round the school?”

“Basically, yeah. There’s not much to it really. Just sort of tedious carrying them around all day and making sure no one nicks any of them.”

Robbie frowned. 

“How many chocolate bars are we talking about here?”

“Err...usually about a hundred each.”

“So you and me have got to sell two hundred by the end of the month?

“Erm well we’re going to need the money before then. More like three weeks from now.”

“And we’re going to do that just at school?”

Jason shook his head. 

“Oh no. No. After you’ve carried them around school all day, you have to take them home and go door to door round your neighborhood with whatever you haven’t sold.”

Robbie thought for a bit.

“Seems like I remember you lot selling them chocolate bars an awful lot. Don’t you think people might be getting tired of them?”

Jason sighed. “Yeah, probably, but what else can we do? There’s nothing else in the catalog that people will buy.”

“You think we can actually sell enough of them to hire someone to do a laser show?”

“No chance, mate. Best we’ll get is some strobe lights and maybe a disco ball. If we’re lucky.”

Robbie thought some more and then bolted up out of his seat and ran over to Mr. Gavin.

“Sir? Do we have to sell things to raise money or can we do some sort of activity that we sell tickets to?”

Mr. Gavin frowned at Robbie, somewhat puzzled. 

“We’re already selling tickets to the dance, Robert..”

“Yes, but what if we came up with something funny to do that didn’t cost us anything or didn’t cost much anyway? Something a bit different like?”

“Such as?”

“I dunno yet. Haven’t thought that far, have I?”

Mr. Gavin chewed his lower lip thoughtfully as he paced around the room.

“You’ve got 24 hours. If you don’t have an idea by this time tomorrow, it’s chocolate bars again.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Jelly wrestling??? Seriously??” 

Mark regarded Robbie with barely suppressed laughter.

“It’ll be brilliant, mate! We get a big tub of it- big enough to fit two and people can go up against the guys on the wrestling team or make wagers.”

“No wagers, I’m afraid,” Mr. Gavin cut in.

“Alright, no wagers. But we sell tickets to watch and participate.”

Mark looked like he was considering the possibilities. 

“You talk to the wrestling team about this yet?”

Robbie nodded. 

“Howard’s in for certain. Not sure about the others just yet.”

“Well it’s a start at least. We might not need more than two or three wrestlers anyway.”

Robbie started to grin. “You want to do it, don’t ya?”

Mark smiled. “It would be a laugh, wouldn’t it?”

He turned to Mr. Gavin. 

“What do you say, Mr. G? Is this something we can do?”

Mr. Gavin shrugged. 

“I’ll have to get administrative approval but if it’s what everyone wants, I can probably pull a few strings easy enough.”

Robbie nodded and then climbed up on top of one of the desks and cupped his hands around his mouth.

“ ‘EY UP!” 

Mr. Gavin sighed.

“YOU LOT RATHER HAVE A JELLY WRESTLING MATCH THAN HOCK THEM CHOCOLATE BARS ROUND AGAIN?”

There was a wave of murmured excitement and a lot of giggles. 

“Sounds like it’s what they want, innit?”

Mr. Gavin shrugged. 

“I’ll talk to Mr. Martin-Smith in the morning then.”

Robbie stepped down from the desk and turned to smile at Mark.

Who was walking out the classroom door with Jason’s arm around his waist.

He stopped briefly to stretch up on his toes and kiss Jason’s cheek and met Robbie’s eye and paused in confusion.

The smile faded from Robbie’s face.


	3. Chapter 3

He had a boyfriend. 

Of course Mark had a boyfriend. 

Of course it was that fucking weedy twat Jason. 

Fuck.

Robbie grabbed his jacket from his locker and slammed it shut and stalked down the corridor.

He reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and headed to the doors. 

Another boy stood by the exit and pointed out the “No Smoking” sign with a smug smile.

Robbie rolled his eyes.

“Fuck off, Barlow,” he muttered as he lit up and took the first drag.

“I’m telling Mr. Martin-Smith.”

Robbie took another drag and cocked his head.

“Yeah? Then I’m telling him you’re the one what nicked that keyboard from the music room.”

Gary stiffened.

“I didn’t *nick* it. I *borrowed* it.”

“They know you “borrowed” it?”

Gary hesitated. 

“Err...well”

Robbie nodded. 

“You nicked it then.”

He took a final couple of drags and stubbed the cigarette out and tossed it in the trash bin.

“See ya round Barlow.” He started to walk down the steps to the sidewalk.

“He fancies Howard y’ know.”

Robbie stopped and turned on his heel.

“Come again?”

“Jason. Fancies Howard, he does.”

“And how would you know that?”

Gary shrugged. 

“You see a lot working in the AV booth. People forget they’re being watched.”

Robbie nodded slowly.

“Right. And how did you come to that conclusion about Jason from watching him like some type of perv?”

“Saw him and How snogging in the back row didn’t I?”

“So what I’m saying is, you’re in with a chance with Mark.”

Robbie gave him a stony look.

“What makes you think I give a shit?”

Gary raised his eyebrow.

“Like I say, you see a lot working in the AV booth.”


	4. Chapter 4

“What’s it to you if I get to ask out Mark?”

Gary cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one leg to another nervously.

“You’ve got History class with Dawn Andrews, right?”

Robbie nodded. 

“Yeah, we’re doing a group project together actually. Why?”

“If you...you could put in a good word for me with her, I’ll help you with Mark.”

“What? You mean lie to her?”

Gary rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously mate, she’s like way out of your league.”

“Yeah I know, it’s why I need you to make me look good, innit?”

“Come on, what are mates for?”

Robbie wrinkled up his nose. 

“Since when are we mates, Barlow?”

Gary ignored this.

“I’ve got English Lit with Mark. I can suss out what he thinks of you if you like. Put in a good word. If I can think of one.”

Robbie let out a long breath. 

“Fine. You sell me to Mark and I’ll sell you to Dawn. One question though?”

“What’s that?”

“Who’s telling Mark his boyfriend’s been snogging other blokes behind his back?”

“Ooof. Suppose that better be me. Not looking forward to that.”

“Oh come on, you love to share a bit of gos.”

“Yeah but this is different. I got no argument with Mark do I? He’s a sweet kid. And this is going to hurt him.”

“He deserves to know and all, though.”

Gary nodded.

“Yeah I know he does.”

“Well then. Just try to be a bit more tactful like than you usually are when you talk to him.”


	5. Chapter 5

“I don’t believe you.”

Mark shook his head at Gary.

“You’re mad. That’s what you are.”

Gary sighed.

“I know what I saw, Mark.”

Mark shook his head again. 

“No. No I don’t know what you thought you saw, but you didn’t see that. Jason wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t cheat on me.”

Gary tentatively put his hand on Mark’s shoulder.

“Mark,” he began, “I don’t want to hurt you but..”

He stumbled as Mark shook him off. 

“Don’t touch me! Leave me alone!”


	6. Chapter 6

One week later.

Robbie’s jelly wrestling scheme had been a smash and the gymnasium was packed, both with spectators in the bleachers and with volunteers lining up to take on Howard and his two teammates. 

In the middle of the gym floor on top of a large plastic drop cloth stood three inflatable pools filled with different flavors of gelatin and a wrestler in each pool.

Howard scanned over the crowd with a satisfied smile and gave a quick nod.

“RIGHT. ANY OF YOU LOT THINK YOU’RE HARD ENOUGH TO HAVE A GO?”

“This is brilliant,” Mark grinned at Robbie as they watched jelly flying everywhere. 

“I don’t envy the custodians though.”

Robbie smiled at Mark. 

“You gonna have a go?”

Mark burst out laughing.

“Me? Go up against them lot? Are you having me on?”

“Oh come on. Sure you don’t want to put Howard in his place?”

Mark gave him an odd look.

“You know, Gary told me the craziest thing the other day. Said he’d seen How making out with Jay in the back of the auditorium a few weeks back.”

He laughed in a slightly hollow way.

“Think he’s gone a little bit barmy squirreled away in that booth by himself all the time cos that’s mad, that is. Jay wouldn’t cheat. It’s ridiculous.”

Robbie remained quiet, his brow furrowed slightly, and looked at Mark seriously.

“How long you and Jay been seeing each other?”

“Nearly five months now.”

“And you trust him?”

“Of course I do! He’s...well he does flirt an awful lot.. but I know he wouldn’t cheat.”

Robbie was quiet for another long moment and then jumped up and declared decisively, “well if you won’t take on How, I’m going to.”


	7. Chapter 7

Robbie wasn’t sure how he’d managed it because he never had been great at wrestling and it was slippery as fuck in this jelly tub but somehow he’d gotten Howard in a headlock. 

“This is for Mark,” he said as he shoved him face down in raspberry gelatin. 

“Should do that to Jason too but I don’t know where the fuck he is, do I?”

He grabbed the back of Howard’s head and yanked him back up, sputtering and sticky.

“What about you, eh? You ought to know, right? Since you’re his side piece and all.”

Howard shook his head at Robbie, eyes wide.

“You’re mental, you are.”

“Tweeeeeeeeeet!”

A shrill whistle sounded.

“Williams! Let Donald go or it’s detention until you’re 40.”

Reluctantly, Robbie loosened his grip.

“I’m not done with you,” he hissed in his ear.

“Tweeeeeeeeeet!”

The whistle sounded again.

“ALRIGHT, EVERYONE. HIT THE SHOWERS.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Look, I didn’t mean for anything to happen with Jason,” Howard told Robbie as they washed the jelly bits off themselves. 

The locker room door creaked open but neither of them paid it any mind over the sound of running water.

“Your lips just slipped and landed on his, then?”

“No, that’s not what I...what’s it matter to you anyway?”

“I got my reasons, alright?”

Howard shrugged. 

“Right, yeah. Anyway we was just talking and I don’t know..it just...happened.”

“That the only time it did?”

Howard’s eyes darted to the floor. 

“So no then?”

Howard shook his head. 

“That were just the first time.”

“And Jason’s not said a word to Mark?”

Howard looked miserable. 

“No. I keep telling him he ought to and he keeps saying we’re just going to stop and pretend it never happened. Except we never do stop.”

“Really? It’s his idea to lie? Thought he was a bit of a goody goody. Don’t seem like him.”

Howard shrugged helplessly. They turned off the showers and toweled off and walked over to the changing area.

“Well look, you two better get it together before Mark..”

“Bit late for that.”

Mark stood in the middle of the changing area, his expression numb. 

“Mark! What are..what did you…”

“Came in to ask Robbie if he wanted to go get an ice cream. And then I heard...I heard enough.”

He laughed, slightly on the edge of hysterical sounding. 

“Can’t believe I been such an idiot. You and Gaz warned me and I still didn’t believe you.”

“I’m sorry Markie.” Howard told him.

Mark gave him a curt nod.

“Yeah. You should be.”

He turned and walked out of the locker room.

“I should...I’m gonna make sure he’s okay.”

Robbie quickly pulled on his pants and shirt and opened the door and ran down the corridor barefoot after Mark.

“MARK! WAIT!” He called out. 

Mark stopped and turned around. 

“Offer still good for that ice cream?”

Mark gave him a sad smile.

“Don’t think I’ll be very good company.”

“Aww come on. Nothing in this world a good banana split can’t fix.”

Mark shook his head. 

“Maybe some other time. Sorry.”


	9. Chapter 9

Mark lay on his bed staring up at the Diego Maradona poster on his ceiling. 

The phone rang. 

“Markie don’t hang up. I’m sorry!”

Mark sighed. 

“You’ve got one minute, Jason.”

“Look, I was going to tell you, I really was.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

Mark spoke again.

“If you’d rather be with Howard, why didn’t you just say?”

“Because I don’t! I still want to be with you!”

“You got a funny way of showing it.”

“Mark, I…”

“Minute’s up, Jay.”

He hung up abruptly.

The phone rang a minute later.

“Mark. Please.”

“Jason I don’t have anything to say to you.”

Five minutes later, it rang again. Mark answered it irritatedly.

“I said I don’t want to talk, Jason!” He started to hang up again when a voice spoke up,

“It’s not Jason.”

Mark paused and looked at the phone and then brought it back up to his ear.

“Rob?”

“Yeah. Listen, how you doing?”

Mark shrugged. 

“Shit.”

“Want that banana split now?”

“Don’t want anything.”

“We made a shitload of money today though at least. Bet we can get you that laser show now.”

“Don’t care about the stupid dance. Not even going anymore.”

“Oh come on. You’re the head of the dance committee. You’ve got to be there.”

Mark sniffed. 

“You don’t want an idiot like me. I’ll just muck everything up.”

“Mark you’re not an idiot.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes! Well...you might be, cos I don’t actually know you that well do I? But if you think you’re an idiot for trusting Jason, you’re wrong. It’s not idiotic to trust someone you care about.”

“It’s not?”

“No. Way I see it is there’s only one idiot here and it’s Jason Orange for taking you for granted.”

There was a moment of silence and then Robbie spoke again, so softly that Mark nearly didn’t hear him.

“I would never do that to you, you know.”

There was a soft click of the phone being hung up and Mark lay in the dark clutching the receiver.

“I know,” he whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Mark managed somehow to get through the next week at school, avoiding Jason as much as possible and in truth avoiding talking much at all. As suspected, they had not actually gotten nearly enough money for a laser show but they did manage to get a green screen projector for funny backgrounds for pictures, a set of strobe lights, a mirror ball, and a large quantity of balloons and miniature confetti cannons. And luckily Gary and Howard worked cheap when it came to music and Howard had that huge record collection to play. So it looked like the dance wouldn’t be a total washout after all.

He still wasn’t going to go though.

On Friday afternoon, he joined in with setting everything up for the evening and then, before anyone else tried to change his mind, crept out the back door of the gymnasium and headed home for a quality evening of feeling sorry for himself.

His pity party lasted exactly one hour before there was a loud knock on his bedroom window.

“What the?”

He pulled up the blind to reveal Robbie standing on a ladder, wearing a garish bright pink sports jacket and clutching a paper bag.

Dumbfounded, Mark opened the window and watched Robbie scramble inside.

“Hey! I was about to go to the dance and then I thought “sod it! I was only going for Mark in the first place and there’s no point if he’s not there” so anyway I went to the ice cream shop and got us those banana splits we never did get the other day.” 

He grinned and held up the bag.

“Should eat these soon, they’re getting right drippy.”

Mark laughed properly for the first time since the jelly wrestling day. Full throated and throwing his head back.

Robbie’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“You’re mad,” Mark told him, digging into his sundae. “And you best take that jacket off before you get chocolate sauce all over it.”

Robbie complied with a grin.

“You like it that I’m mad though, don’t you?”

Mark shrugged.

“Might do.”

“Still,” Robbie said, “it seems a shame to waste this outfit.”

He stood up and walked over to Mark’s wardrobe, opening it and going through the rack of clothes before Mark had a chance to protest.

“Good lord, how many outfits do you have?”

Mark shrugged defensively.

“I like to shop, alright?”

Robbie nodded. “Yeah I can see that and all.”

He stopped short and pulled out a silver sequined jumpsuit.

“Where’d you find this? It’s ace.”

“Found it at a vintage shop last year. Still haven’t worn it yet.”

“You should wear it tonight. At the dance. With me.”

Mark opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out.

“I like you, Mark. I really like you a lot. And I meant what I said the other day. I won’t ever take you for granted.”

Mark stood quietly for a long moment and then stood before Robbie and stretched up on his toes and kissed him on the lips- softly, gently, teasingly- lightly nipping his lower lip and winding his fingers through his hair.

“I really like you too.”


	11. Chapter 11

Meanwhile.

“Do you want to dance?”

Gary gulped in disbelief as Dawn Andrews, the leggy blonde goddess of his dreams, approached the dj booth where he’d been chatting with Howard.

He looked around in confusion before pointing at himself.

“Me? You want to dance with me?”

Dawn nodded.

Gary looked upward and muttered “thank you, Robert” under his breath as he stepped forward and shyly took Dawn’s hand.

“I’d love to. I’m afraid I’ve got two left feet though.”

Dawn smiled.

“That’s alright. Just follow my lead.”


End file.
